To the NY Times Editorial Board:
In your reporting on the 2024 elections, you and others in the media are completely missing what’s really going on:
Know this: The Republican objective isn’t necessarily to win the election outright.
The real objective is to make the race close enough so that its results can be challenged… and ultimately overturned. Let that sink in.
Here’s the point: by that measure, unless there’s a radical and unprecendented change in polling numbers, Trump has already won.
So you in the media need to realize that what you’re covering isn’t an election. What you’re really covering is a coup… in progress.
“Holocaust survivor” and “Holocaust denier” are not equally valid points of view. Likewise, “truth” and “lies” are not two equivalent sides of a debate.
By mindlessly broadcasting everything Trump says, media outlets are providing him with millions of dollars’ of free exposure. But Trump isn’t using the valuable TV time to discuss policy, promote civic engagement or any other high-minded purpose. Instead, Trump uses his free airtime to spead lies, fear and as a recruiting tool to rally the troops he’ll need to challenge the election results should they not be to his liking. It’s all as plain as the nose on your face. Yet the media insists on covering 2024 as if it was a legitimate choice between two candidates.
It’s not. The 2024 campaign is a well-planned, highly organized attempt by right-wing fascists to seize power by installing an unstable, dictator-loving psycopath as president of the United States. They will stop at nothing to do it and as long as the election is “close enough,” it’s quite likely they’ll succeed.
It’s not like there’s any mystery here. This is the exact same playbook Trump used in 2020; only this time, he has many more pieces in place to enable him to pull it off.
That’s the truth. And that’s the story the media needs to be telling. Over and over and over again. The media can start by ending their practice of lazy, knee-jerk rebroadcasting of Trump’s speeches; text excerpts and analysis/debunking would much better serve the American public than the manipulative spectacles he presents. Yeah, it may mean a bit more work (and perhaps fewer “eyeballs”) than simply racking up the videotape, but Trump’s free pass to inject hate and lies unchallenged into the American political bloodstream must end. Now.
“Holocaust survivor” and “Holocaust denier” are not equally valid points of view. Likewise, “truth” and “lies” are not two equivalent sides of a debate. The media needs to do its job and start telling it like it is instead of engaging in the weak “both sides-ism” that permeates their political reporting.
The single biggest weapon Trump has at his disposal is the failure of the media to tell the real story. It’s time for media – all media – to stand up to the fascism that is staring us in the face. Broadcasters can start by no longer giving Trump – or anybody else, for that matter – a free platform to spread lies. That’s not to much to ask for the privilege of using our airwaves.
As the preeminent figure in print media, I’m hoping that your taking a principled stance on broadcast media might serve to make a difference… that is, if it’s not already too late.
Thank you for your time and consideration… be well and keep up the indispensable work you do.
